In the video game industry, there are several different types of video game devices. Certain video game devices or systems connect to a television set and operate games which are displayed on the television screen. Other video game devices are handheld devices which enable players to carry the devices with them and play games at different locations and in different settings. The handheld devices include video screens or video displays which display the games operated by these devices. Conventional video screens or video displays for the handheld devices typically include a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) which displays the images of the games operated by the handheld devices.
One problem with conventional LCD's is that the LCD's are difficult to view in different lighting conditions such as in very low light or no light conditions. In these situations, players must move to a different area which has more favorable lighting conditions to view and play the games displayed by the LCD's of the handheld devices. As a result, players are limited by the lighting conditions of the particular location or place in which they are using the video game device and in some instances, the players are limited by the time of day which they can view and play the games operated by the handheld devices.
To overcome this problem, some conventional handheld devices include separate lights which are attachable to the handheld devices to illuminate the LCD displays and enable players to use the devices in low to no light conditions. Certain of these lights are separate external lights which are attached to a handheld device to project light down or at the LCD display of the device. Some of these external lights are connected to a cover or other similar panel which is attached adjacent to and over the LCD display. Other external lights are mounted to a bracket or arm which is attached to and extends above the console of the handheld device. The bracket or arm includes a light source at one end and positions the lights source above the LCD display. The light source emits light which projects down onto the LCD display similar to a book light. These lights tend to cause glares or reflections which affect the players' ability to view and play the games displayed on the LCD displays.
Certain other handheld devices employ an internal backlight device or system which includes one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) to illuminate the LCD display. The backlight is installed between the LCD and the front protective lens of the handheld device. A switch or other control is typically connected to the backlight to control and adjust the brightness of the backlight and also to turn the backlight on and off. The internal backlight, however, requires complicated installation procedures. Additionally, the internal backlight requires that players manually adjust the control or switch each time they want to adjust the brightness level of the backlight device. If the ambient light conditions become darker while players are playing the handheld device, the players are forced to adjust the brightness or light intensity level of the backlight device while they are playing a game to adequately view the display of the handheld device. Adjusting the backlight in this manner interrupts a player's concentration level and affects the player's ability to play the game operated by the handheld device.
A further problem with these backlight devices is that the backlight devices illuminate the display screen to the highest or greatest light intensity level. The light intensity level can then be adjusted or modified using a control or switch which is manually adjusted by the player. However, if the player does not adjust the light intensity level or if the light intensity level consistently remains at a high level, the batteries or the stored energy used to power the video game device are depleted at a faster rate, resulting in less playing time.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lighting device for a video game device which automatically adjusts the light intensity of the video game display according to different lighting conditions and conserves the energy used to power the video game device.